Unknown Japanese Internment Camps

What the Government Didn't Tell Us

Unknown Japanese Internment Camps

What the Government Didn't Tell Us

What Americans Were Told

Japan attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor in the winter of 1941, leading to America's involvement in WWII. The attack resulted in the U.S. government ordering all Japanese-American citizens to be moved to internment camps; the government justified their actions by claiming this race was dangerous and could potentially aid Japan. The government told the citizens that the camps were good for the Japanese and kept everyone safe. They told the Americans the internment camps were healthy and clean, but that's not what we see.

American perspective of the Internment camps.

In this picture, the food is laid out in an organized manner for the prisoners. The prisoners are dressed nicely.

Japanese evacuation sign

Japanese peresective of the camps

In this picture, the camp looks crowded and dirty.

American perspective of the Internment camps.

In this picture, the food is laid out in an organized manner for the prisoners. The prisoners are dressed nicely.

Japanese evacuation sign

Japanese peresective of the camps

In this picture, the camp looks crowded and dirty.

In reality what happaned

The U.S. Government forcibly evacuated the Japanese-American population after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Additionally, unlike the government propaganda, the camps were very dusty, crowded, too hot in the summer, and too cold in the winter. Most American citizens didn't understand what the camps were like. The government didn't want people to really see what was happening to the "other" Americans. The poor conditions of the camps contradicted the U.S. propaganda.